BOK Center
A thrilling opportunity to revitalize downtown, but a 30-foot grade stood between this swirling Tulsa icon and universal access.
The earth forms, lines of trees and shapes of planting beds played off the building forms to create a cohesive project.
As the flagship project of Tulsa County's Vision 2025 long-range development initiative, the BOK Center is an unmistakable downtown landmark. Accommodating almost 20,000 seats, this multi-purpose arena was designed to accommodate arena football, hockey, basketball, and concerts. The design by the world-renowned architecture firm, Pelli Clarke Pelli, is an iconic building and required an appropriate base.
One of the biggest challenges of this project was working with the 30-foot grade change from the northwest corner of the site to the front doors. Although this impressive structure occupies four-square blocks, providing universal access and minimizing required handrails, neccessitated long gently sloping walks leading to the main entries. Not wanting to sacrifice function for form, these elements maintained the sweeping shape consisten with the building architecture.
The simple plant palatte and strong complimentary lines keep the focus on the building itself. Sweeping masses of ornamental grasses were paired with 60 trees, to create a modest yet complementary backdrop.
Other Case Studies
Linnaeus Teaching Garden
Creating space for a multitude of garden venues and features on a site less than an acre in size with significant grade change isn’t easy, but it’s fun.
Philbrook Museum of Art
Honoring the historical site design laid out almost 100 years ago, Howell & Vancuren acted as the lead consultant on this $7 million renovation.
